I don't have advice for bullet choice but brass will give better results if it's all the same in a batch. If you load 10 Federal 3 Winchester and 7 Remington these won't likely be as consistant as just Loading 20 of the same type.

I have not heard anyone refer to Federals rifle brass as a best choice although I'm sure it works fine. Lapua would be one of the better but also more expensive. Winchester and Remington work just fine too. Some also really like Prvi Partisan brass. But then it just becomes Chevy vs Ford etc.